Already Begun
by ournoisyhearts
Summary: AU. A summer afternoon takes an unexpected turn when sixteen-year-old Blaine Anderson meets a strange boy at the mall. Seblaine.


_notes- _I wrote something of substance! Hooray! It's rather fluffy, though. Be warned.

* * *

**Already Begun**

* * *

The whir of the air conditioner is the first thing that Blaine takes account of as he enters the doors of Eastland Mall and is promptly almost knocked aside by the blast of artificial wind that hits him. The cool is still a thankful reprieve from the muggy heat outside, and he carefully peels his polo shirt away from his chest and then wipes the sweat from his brow. Columbus in the summer is about the equivalent of a high-powered sauna, the heat thick and sticky, and Blaine's skin is already sweat-slicked from less than five minutes outside. His grandmother is a few steps behind him as they walk in, but she quickly pats his cheek and then makes a bee-line for the craft store nearby, leaving Blaine to stand awkwardly beside the mall directory by himself.

His parents had been adamant that he spend part of the summer with his grandmother in Columbus, since they would be working the majority of the time and he wouldn't have a car to transport himself around Westerville anyway. A few weeks away from his junior year and Blaine is still smaller than average, with practically untamable curls and a strong affinity for musical theater. Not that it matters much at Dalton Academy- for an all-boys school, it's incredibly accepting and non-judgmental, for which Blaine is grateful. Coming out at the beginning of the previous year had occurred with little fanfare, leaving all of Blaine's friendships intact, and he knows just how lucky he is. Nevertheless, his parents had encouraged that he get out of town for the summer, at least for a little awhile, and so he has been spending his days strumming his guitar in the guest bedroom of his grandmother's duplex in Columbus, listening to her hum quietly to herself in the evenings as she knits in her rocking chair with the news playing quietly in the background (yes, she is one of _those_ kinds of grandmothers).

This particular day seems to be the exception, as his grandmother had suggested they take a trip to the local mall since it was "too darn hot to do much else." Blaine had somewhat reluctantly agreed, and now, here they are—or, well, here _he _is. He's lost sight of his grandmother already, and with a helpless shrug, Blaine makes his own way further into the mall, his palms shoved into the pockets of his plaid shorts and his eyes scanning the windows of shops absently as he passes them.

The building itself is rather quiet, though it is one o'clock on a Wednesday. A few people mill about here or there, mostly teenagers like himself, or older folk who have already retired. Any practical person would be out beside a pool, most likely, but Blaine finds that he doesn't mind the crowd, or lack thereof. He does have around a hundred dollars in his wallet from pruning his grandmother's rose bushes over the past few weeks (after she insisted on overpaying him) and now contemplates actually spending the money on something, since he doesn't have the time to shop like this very often.

He wanders through the cluttered racks of JC Penney for awhile, finds a belt that will match his Dalton slacks perfectly next year and a short-sleeve checkered button down that definitely looks to be worth the $9.99 the store is asking for. He decides to give in and buy the items, handing over one of his beloved twenties and taking the plastic shopping bag in return. After that, he stumbles across a Brookstone and spends nearly an hour tinkering with the gadgets inside. The clerk teaches him how to fly the remote-control hovercraft, and he also wastes a few minutes pressing various buttons on one of the massage chairs as it vibrates pleasantly against his back. He doesn't really see anything worth buying, however, and eventually out of the store, swinging his single bag back and forth in his hand.

Figuring that his grandmother will simply call him from the craft store once she's ready to leave, he ends up inside of f.y.e and makes his way over to the pop section to browse through the CD's. He's been meaning to find some new music, anyway, and his cash is real and solid in his pocket, so why not? He thumbs through the racks for awhile, picks up _Torches_ from Foster the People and an older album from Jason Mraz, plus a few others that he comes across in the clearance section. Another hour later, and his hands are all but weighted down by CD's, probably more than he's hoping to spend, and he stares thoughtfully down at his collection as he tries to decide which ones to actually _buy._

His lips are pursed as he considers the various titles, but his pondering is suddenly interrupted when a snicker comes from behind him. Whirling around, Blaine is soon face-to-face with a boy who looks to be about his age, though much, much taller, with artfully spiked hair and an obvious smirk on his face. Blaine immediately flushes, glancing self-consciously down at the CD's in his hands and then looking back up, abruptly aware of how foolish he must appear.

The boy tips his head to one side, and his smirk widens a bit before he says, "if you stare any harder at those things, I'm pretty sure you might burst a blood vessel."

The comment only has Blaine's cheeks feeling hotter, and he drops his gaze again, clutching the stack of CD's to his chest. "I can't make up my mind."

"Well, what are you deciding between?" The mysterious boy asks, and before Blaine can answer, he is carefully extricating a few of the cases from Blaine's grasp and reading over the titles. "Kelly Clarkson...Coldplay...Neon Trees...wow, you're mainstream, aren't you?"

Blaine manages a tiny shrug, his flush thankfully not deepening any further (though that's probably because he's already red as a tomato). The stranger is looking over at him again, an amused smile playing at his lips, but it doesn't seem mocking at all, so Blaine decides to speak again. "I listen to the radio a lot."

The boy across from him laughs, then separates two CD's from the bunch in his hands and deposits the rest on the shelf to his left. "Here, get these two. _Waking Up_ is one of my personal favorites."

Blaine accepts the cases, blinks down at the names of OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles for a long moment before he finds his voice again. "Thanks," he squeaks out.

"Oh, but I'm not done with you yet," the stranger replies, and Blaine's eyebrows furrow in confusion. The boy merely nods his head and leads him over to a different section of the store, and when Blaine spots the sign that reads _Country, _he lets out a tiny laugh.

"You like country?" he blurts. The boy has the decency to look offended, his nose wrinkling up and his arms folding across his chest.

"Of course. I like a little bit of everything." With that, he turns to search through the shelves, leaving Blaine to hover a bit nervously at his side. He's not really sure about this boy, doesn't even know his name or why he's bothering with Blaine in the first place, but there's something about him that reels Blaine in. He oozes a smooth, easy confidence that Blaine envies, has a smile that would seem overly cheerful on anyone else. Not to mention the fact that he's _gorgeous—_tan and lean, with a sharp jaw and freckles dotting the line of his neck. Blaine has seen his fair share of cute boys, obviously, but he hasn't really _spoken _to any, leaving him gawking slightly in this stranger's presence. He feels sort of tiny and insignificant at his side, like the awkward sixteen-year-old that he is, but he tries not to let it deter him. Whoever this boy is, Blaine is intrigued, so he remains by the stranger's side and watches as he rifles through the discs in front of him.

A couple of seconds later, the boy releases an _a-ha!_ sound, and he passes Blaine a pretty standard looking CD. The name on the cover sounds vaguely familiar, though Blaine isn't much of a country person in the first place. _Luke Bryan. _He shoots a look back up at the stranger, who gives him a reassuring grin and then begins steering him towards the cashier.

"You think you don't like country _now,_ but he'll convert you. Trust me. His music is awesome, plus, he's pretty hot, so that's always a bonus." The comment is made so conversationally that Blaine nearly misses it, but once it comprehends, he stumbles for a split-second out of shock. Had this boy just implied to Blaine that he was _gay?_

Being a student at an all-boys private school in Ohio, Blaine can probably count on one hand the number of times he's met someone like himself. And the few times he has, the person hasn't been extremely open about it, has only opened up when the confession was mutual. This boy, though, has just come out to Blaine as casually as if he were talking about the weather, and Blaine is dumbfounded. Who _is_ this guy?

"I'll—I guess we'll see," he manages to mumble, ignoring the stranger at his side in favor of handing over his CD's to the cashier and paying. His fingers tremble minutely as he hands over his money and takes his bag, and then he can't ignore the boy anymore, because he is following Blaine out of the shop and stopping him just outside the doors.

"So, I know what kind of music you like, but not your name," he comments idly, stretching out his hand. "I'm Sebastian."

"B-Blaine," he murmurs, slipping his hand into Sebastian's (the name is fitting, Blaine thinks) and giving it a light shake. The boy's palm is rough to the touch, his long fingers enveloping Blaine's own, and Blaine has to suppress another blush as he drops his hand back to his side a minute later. Sebastian simply grins down at him, his teeth glinting as the smile lines dig into his cheeks, and Blaine forces himself to look away.

"Well, Blaine," he replies, drawing out the single syllable of Blaine's name in a way that is absolutely ridiculous, "where to next?"

There is one question that keeps spiraling its way through Blaine's mind, and he has to dig his teeth into his bottom lip in order not to ask it: _why do you want to hang out with me?_ Sebastian has all but turned him into a bumbling five-year-old (not that Blaine was that coherent and mature to begin with), and he can't see why someone so bold and self-assured is wasting their time with _him._ He blinks up at Sebastian and attempts to open his mouth to reply, but he can't seem to form words, so he snaps it back shut and most definitely flushes this time, the red creeping up his neck and coloring his face unabashedly.

"You're cute," Sebastian remarks. Blaine squeezes his eyes shut as his cheeks darken, and Sebastian laughs, motioning down the way towards the food court. "Come on, I'm thirsty."

They end up at Orange Julius, Sebastian ordering the biggest size possible for himself and the smallest for Blaine ("don't argue, I've decided I'm exposing you to all new things today. You're welcome"). The food court itself is mostly empty, and Blaine obediently follows Sebastian over to one of the many tables and takes a seat. He sets his bags on the floor by his feet, proceeding to pop the lid off his drink and stare at the faded pink-colored substance. Sebastian watches on, bemused, while his lips wrap firmly around his own straw so that he can take a sip.

"Is staring things to death a specialty of yours?" he asks after awhile, placing his cup back down and folding his arms across his chest.

Blaine startles, his head ducking forward slightly as he slowly shakes his head. "Funny," he mumbles.

Sebastian smirks. "I thought so," he replies. Then, uncrossing his arms again and leaning forward, he props his elbows up on the table and inquires, "what are you doing in this lame-ass mall on such a fine day?"

"My grandma," Blaine offers without explanation, and Sebastian raises an eyebrow pointedly. "I'm visiting her for the month."

"You're not from Columbus?" Sebastian asks as takes another sip of his drink, and Blaine shakes his head.

"What about you?" he manages to say. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I just moved to Ohio a few weeks ago, and you'd be _shocked _to know that it's probably the most boring place on the face of the planet," Sebastian drawls. Blaine lets out a tiny laugh, his fingers curling around his cup so that he can finally take an experimental sip. The drink is nothing out of the ordinary—like a strawberry smoothie, only thinner—but it is sweet and cold on his tongue, and Blaine swallows happily, trying to ignore the satisfied grin on Sebastian's face.

"Where did you move from?" he asks.

"Paris," Sebastian responds nonchalantly, and Blaine's eyes widen.

"You lived in _Paris?_" He breathes, then winces, because _wow, _he sounds like a twelve-year-old girl. To his credit, Sebastian merely nods, though his eyes attain a sort of far-away look in them.

"For six years. My mom lives there, but she wanted me to finish high school in the states," he elaborates. Blaine tries to picture it, what it would be like to live in such a beautiful, lively city, and the thought has his stomach in knots.

"Wow," he murmurs softly. "I've never been to Europe."

"It's beautiful," Sebastian admits, "more so than Ohio, for sure."

Blaine laughs again, soft and high-pitched, though it surely isn't a giggle. Sebastian's features regain that satisfied look once more, and he drums his fingers against the table for a moment before tilting his head. "Although my life is rather exciting...tell me about yours."

So Blaine does. He starts off somewhat hesitant, but soon, he can't stop, talking about his family, his pet dog, and his love of performing. He mentions his friends, how absolutely insane Nick and Jeff are, but that he loves them anyway.

At one point, Sebastian stops him mid-ramble and asks, "how old are you?"

"I'm—I'll be a junior next year," Blaine answers carefully, a sudden bout of uncertainty sweeping over him. However, Sebastian just smiles, his mouth tipping up at the corners.

"Relax, Blaine, it was just a question. We're the same age," he reassures. "By the way, considering that whole shy, blushing thing you had going on earlier? You sort of talk a lot."

"I'm...sorry?" Blaine apologizes weakly.

"It was just an observation," Sebastian chuckles, and then he is picking up his cup and standing, stretching his arms above his head. "Let's get a move on. Places to go, people to see, all that."

The next few hours are spent strolling about the mall, Blaine trailing along at Sebastian's side as he stops them at nearly every store they pass. He drags Blaine back into Brookstone, where Blaine proudly shows him how to work the hovercraft, and then into Spencer's Gifts, where Sebastian proceeds to try on every pair of nonsensical sunglasses on the rack (Blaine's personal favorite being the sombrero-shaped ones). They stock up on gummy worms at the candy store, Sebastian paying for three full bags worth, and eventually settle themselves next to the indoor fountain once they're both too tired to walk anymore. Blaine's cheeks hurt from smiling, and the entire right side of his body tingles pleasantly from where Sebastian is seated next to him, a bit closer than strictly necessary. He is digging through his pockets for something, and eventually his fingers emerge with a handful of change, which he holds out to Blaine.

"Take a penny," he orders. Forehead wrinkling, Blaine obeys, glancing up at Sebastian in confusion as he climbs to his feet.

"What for?" he asks, and Sebastian rolls his eyes.

"You're gonna make a wish," he replies simply.

Blaine arches an eyebrow, but dutifully stands up and makes his way to Sebastian's side, the penny pinched between his thumb and forefinger. "You're sort of crazy," he decides, to which Sebastian just shoots him a wink.

"So I've been told." Reaching out, he grasps Blaine's elbow and pulls him closer, turning them around so that their backs are to the fountain. Sebastian's breath is warm against Blaine's neck, his fingers curled lightly around his forearms, and Blaine shuts his eyes at the sudden proximity. He's never been this close another boy before—_ever,_ not like this, anyway, and it causes his breath to catch in his throat. Sebastian keeps his voice soft, a hushed murmur in Blaine's ear, as he closes Blaine's fingers around the penny in his hand.

"On the count of three, you make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. Ready?"

All Blaine can manage is a shaky nod as Sebastian releases his palm, whispering, "one...two...three."

Blaine keeps his eyes shut and tosses the coin over his shoulder, listening with bated breath as it makes a soft _popping_ sound and hits the water. Sebastian's breath is still audible in his ear, the rise and fall of his chest a fleeting sensation against Blaine's back, and then he is stepping away, leaving a flash of cold in his wake. Blaine forces his eyes open and inhales a shuddery breath as he tries to regain his bearings, his heartbeat returning to its normal pace. After a moment, he turns around to face Sebastian, who is just flipping his own coin into the water, his face breaking into a smile when he realizes that Blaine is watching.

"Aren't you gonna ask me what I wished for?" he questions as Blaine closes the gap between them, and Blaine shakes his head.

"That ruins it!" he exclaims. The mood from seconds before has all but dissipated, only a small bit of the awkwardness residing, and Blaine tries not to think too hard about it. He's just met Sebastian. They're hanging out because neither of them has anything better to do. That's all there is to it.

"I knew you had a thing for this kind of stuff," Sebastian declares. Blaine lifts his shoulders in a shrug and returns to his spot at the edge of the fountain, sitting down next to his pile of bags and peering up at Sebastian.

"Why not believe it, right?" he mumbles.

Sebastian stares down at him thoughtfully, his nose wrinkling after a moment. "I guess so," he concedes. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom, so I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine echoes quietly, and returns Sebastian's parting smile before staring after his retreating back. He waits until the boy has rounded the corner out of sight, and then drops his gaze to his lap, his cheeks instantly flushing. He's had more fun with Sebastian in one afternoon than he has in awhile, and he doesn't really know what to think about it. Sebastian is proud and outgoing and blunt, and he causes Blaine's stomach to flutter in a way that's not entirely unwelcome. Blaine can't help wondering if maybe this might actually lead to _something,_ though what, he isn't one hundred percent sure.

He's startled out of his musings by his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he pulls it out and glances at the caller I.D. before answering. "Hey, grandma."

"Blaine, darling! I'm so sorry. I ran into Mr. Jacobs from down the street, and we ended up talking..."

"It's fine, gram," he replies. "I've kept myself busy."

"Oh, well, that's good to hear!" his grandmother chirps. "I actually just realized that I'm supposed to be at an appointment with Dr. Wilson in about twenty minutes, so we're going to have to get going—"

"Wait, right now?" Blaine repeats, the cold dread settling in his stomach. He looks up and glances around, but there is no sign of Sebastian, and his grandmother is still rambling in his ear.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I completely forgot about this appointment!"

"But, gram—" Blaine pleads. He is panicking, jumping up to his feet and still looking around wildly. His grandmother apologizes again and insists that he meet her at the mall entrance, and Blaine can't just cause her to miss an appointment, but..._Sebastian._

Where is he?

"I'll be waiting, Blaine!" his grandmother finishes, and then she hangs up, leaving Blaine to wallow by himself. He has no idea what's taking Sebastian so long, and he doesn't even have a pen so that he can leave his phone number or just a plain note or...

Another minute passes, and Blaine knows he can't wait any longer. He glances around one more time, shoots a dejected glance at the fountain and then picks up his bags and heads back towards the mall entrance. The defeat is crushing, but there's absolutely nothing Blaine can do.

* * *

Blaine wastes the remaining portion of the summer moping, for lack of a better word. He downloads _Tailgates & Tanlines _onto his ipod and listens to it repeatedly, scours the internet futilely for anything about Sebastian. It proves impossible, since Blaine doesn't even know the boy's last name, and eventually, he forces himself to give up. He's probably never going to see Sebastian again, and he just needs to accept it.

But he _can't._

Returning to school is ten times as painful, because it's as if he hasn't even had the two-month break to refresh himself. Nick and Jeff catch on to his foul mood the minute they see him, and attempt to cheer him up, but to no avail. Blaine unpacks his things in his dorm methodically, filling up his closet and putting the sheets on his bed without much thought to the empty bed on the opposite side of the room. He knows that he's getting a new roommate this year, since Wes has graduated and Nick and Jeff are rooming together, but doesn't spare his still absent roommate more than a passing thought, too consumed in his own _what if _mentality.

By the time all of his things are put away, it is past dinnertime, and his roommate is still a no-show. Blaine briefly wonders if the boy has opted out of Dalton at the last minute, but he barely has a chance to ponder the possibility before the door is bursting open and a boy comes barreling inside.

"Goddamn _fucking _keys—" The stranger stumbles into the room, narrowly missing toppling straight into Blaine as he deposits his armful of boxes in the corner and straightens up to brush himself off. "I'm obviously going to make a great impression at this school. Sorry about that, I'm—"

"...Sebastian?" Blaine squeaks.

Sebastian's head snaps up, all of the color draining from his face and his eyes going impossibly wide. "Holy shit. Blaine?"

Blaine can't tell whether his stomach is rolling because he is going to throw up or cry of happiness, or possibly both. All he is sure of is that Sebastian is standing two feet away from him, tall and freckled and _real,_ and Blaine had been so sure that he'd ruined any chances he had after leaving that day back in July—

"You go here?" Sebastian blurts out, interrupting Blaine mid-thought. Blaine nods so hard that he gets dizzy, and then he is shuffling a bit in place, suddenly nervous.

"I—yeah. I guess I didn't tell you?" he says weakly.

Sebastian's mouth is still partially open, the surprise never straying from his features, and were it any other situation, Blaine would laugh. He can't, though, because he's feeling the exact same way.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," Sebastian admits finally, his hand rising to scratch at the back of his neck. "I mean, I came back and you were just _gone._"

"I'm sorry," Blaine mumbles, scrambling to explain himself. "My grandma called, and we had to go, and I couldn't find you—"

"Well...at least you found me now?"

Blaine pauses his frantic rambling and lifts his head, meeting Sebastian's gaze. The boy is smiling hesitantly, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and all of the breath _whooshes _out of Blaine's lungs, leaving him dumbstruck.

"So...you don't hate me?" he clarifies.

"Blaine, I went back to that mall everyday for a _week_ hoping I'd see you again," Sebastian mumbles. "I threw so many pennies into that fountain—"

Blaine doesn't allow Sebastian to finish. Before he can talk himself out of it, he steps forward and leans up on his toes, pressing his lips fleetingly against the boy's own to cut him off. When he pulls away a split-second later, Sebastian is gazing blankly down at him, and Blaine is already internally hyperventilating, his fingers coming up to dig into his hair.

"Oh, god, I just did that. I'm sorry, I've never kissed _anyone_ before. You probably don't even like me, holy crap, why did I _do _that?"

Blaine continues to mutter incessantly beneath his breath, his face growing redder by the second, but then Sebastian is calling out his name and grabbing onto his arms, halting him mid-pace.

"Blaine! Blaine, it's fine, I promise. Stop freaking out." Blaine swallows nervously and tips his head back to meet Sebastian's eyes, and what he finds there isn't at all what he's been expecting. Sebastian appears to be amused, but his face also holds something...fond, and his palms are sliding down Blaine's arms to his hands, where he grasps them between his own.

"We're not doing a very good job of this so far," Sebastian murmurs.

Blaine blinks owlishly up at him, his teeth digging almost painfully into his bottom lip, before he whispers, "a very good job of what?"

Sebastian's mouth curls up into an affectionate grin, and Blaine is still so very, very confused. And oblivious, apparently, because this is the moment when Sebastian leans down and covers Blaine's mouth with his own, a soft, chaste brush of lips that leaves Blaine trembling down to his toes.

"There. That was better," Sebastian mumbles as they break apart. The flush is darkening on Blaine's cheeks again, and as soon as Sebastian notices, he laughs, the noise sounding a lot like music to Blaine's ears.

Something dawns on Blaine, then, and he asks, "You wished for me?"

Sebastian's expression turns sheepish, his thumbs smoothing over Blaine's knuckles. "Oh, come on. I don't even wanna know how many times you listened to that dumb Luke Bryan CD," he grumbles.

A smile breaks out across Blaine's face, and he rocks back up on his toes to plant another kiss at the corner of Sebastian's mouth—because he _can._

"One hundred and three," he murmurs.


End file.
